Combined knife holder and sharpener



July 1949. F. H. ALEXANDER 2,475,937

COMBINED KNIFE HOLDER AND SHARPENER 7 Original Filed April 25, 1945 I V39 (59 1 INVENTOR. 20 Fred H. Alexander I?) 3 3 1 BY 7 ///K 2 q r 40,2321 -42 I ATTORNEY Patented July 12, 1949 COMBINED KNIFE HOLDER ANDSHARPENER Fred H. Alexander, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Substituted for application Serial No. 590,203, April 25, 1945. Thisapplication July 28, 1948,

Serial No. 41,017

Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a combinedknife holder and sharpener.

This is a substitute for my abandoned application filed on April 25,1945, Serial Number 590,203.

More particularly, the invention proposes a knife holder which ischaracterized by a hollow body having a top wall with a slot throughwhich the blade of a knife may be inserted. In this way the holderconveniently sup-ports the knife so that it may be easily removed andreplaced as desired. It is also proposed to provide said hollow bodywith a knife sharpener mounted therein and so arranged as toautomatically sharpen the knife each time it is placed into, or removedfrom, the slot in said hollow body.

The invention contemplates supporting the knife sharpener upon a leafspring, or other resilient element, which will urge the sharpenerresiliently against the edge of the knife blade as it is inserted andremoved from the holder.

The invention also proposes to so construct the knife holder that theblade is guided against the knife sharpener while it is being insertedand removed from said top slot.

The invention also contemplates a modified form. In this modified formit is proposed that the holder be adapted to support more than one knifeat one time. A resilient means is also proposed which may be manuallycontrolled and by which the pressure of the knife blade against theknife sharpener may be controlled.

Still further the invention proposes the construction of a combinedknife holder and sharpener as briefly explained which may bemanufactured and sold at a low cost. For further comprehension of theinvention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will behad to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to theappended claims in which the various novel features of the invention aremore particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combined knife holder and sharpenerconstructed in accordance with this invention and illustrated holding aknife.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken directly behind thefront wall of the body of the holder.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional. view taken on the line 3-3of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a combined knife holder andsharpener constructed in accordance with a modified form of thisinvention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken on the line 5-5of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, corresponding to Fig.5, but illustrating a further modification of the invention.

The combined knife holder and sharpener in accordance with that form ofthe invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, includes a hollowbody I0 having a top wall II provided with a slot [2 through which theblade 53 of a knife l4 may be inserted and removed at will. The hollowbody [0 is provided with a back flange I5 by which it may be mountedupon a wall, or other object. The body I0 is also provided with a frontwall I6 adapted to guide the back edge of the knife blade I3 as it isbeing inserted and removed from the hollow body I0.

The slot I2 is sufficiently large to receive the blade l3 but is smallerthan the handle I! of the knife I4 so that the knife will be supportedby its handle I! resting at the top of wall II of the hollow body I0.The knife sharpener 20 is mounted within said hollow body In and isopposed to the front wall I6 and is adapted to sharpen said knife bladeI3 each time the blade is placed into and removed from the hollow bodyIll. The sharpener 20 comprises a leaf spring 2| which is attached atits bottom end by fastening elements 22 upon the back wall of the hollowbody. This leaf spring 2| extends upwards and supports several groups ofsharpener discs 23.

The sharpener discs 23 are so arranged that the edge of the knife bladeI3 will engage in the space between the discs 23 so that the edge of theknife will be sharpened as it is being moved upwards and downwards. Thespring 20 is depended upon to provide the necessary pressure for holdingthe sharpener discs 23 against the edge of the knife blade l3.Preferably the blade I3 has a pointed bottom end 25 which will make itrelatively easy for the edge of the blade to be guided between thesharpener discs 23 when the knife I4 is being inserted into the knifeholder. The body In is provided with a window opening 26 through whichthe bottom portion of the knife blade I3 is viewable.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a modified form of the invention has been disclosedwhich is similar to the prior form distinguishing essentially in thefact that the combined knife holder and sharpener is capable of holdingmore than one knife at a time. Furthermore, each sharpener has been as-3 sociated with means by which the pressure of the knife blade againstthe sharpener discs may be manually controlled.

More specifically, this new and improved holder and sharpener includes ahollow body 30 having a top Wall 3! provided with a group of slots 3-2through which the blades l3 of knife I4 may be inserted and removed. Thebody 30 is divided by a partition 33 into different compartments, therebeing one compartment for each knife.

Each of the compartments of said body 30 has a front wall 34 for guidingthe back edge of the blade of the knife. The body 30 has a, back flange35 by which it may be mounted on a wall or other object. Knifesharpeners Z". are mounted within each of the compartments of the body30. These sharpeners are located at the tops of the compartments.Qpposed to each sharpener 20 there is a strip of'material 36 which isadapted to extend across the back of the knife blade 13. These strips 36have bent portions 31 forming sockets for receiving the back edges ofthe blades I3.

The strips 36 are slidably mounted on pins 38 mounted on and projectingforward from the back wall of the hollow body 30. Small springs 39 aremounted upon the pins 38 and urge the strips 36 forward and against thefront wall of the hollow body 30. Each strip 36 is provided with anon-circular shank 40 which extends through a complementary opening inthe front wall 34 of the body 30. The shanks 40 are provided with heads4| by which they may be manually pressed inwards.

The operation of this form of the invention is somewhat similar to theprior form. Each time a knife is inserted into and removed from thecompartment of the holder it will be sharpened. The back edge, of eachknife blade [3 will be guided by the strips 35. The leaf springs 2| ofthe sharpeners 20 will force the sharpener discs 23 against the edge ofthe knife blade being sharpened.

If it is desired to increase the pressure of the discs 23, against theedge of a knife blade, the

head 4! of the shank 40 may be pressed inwards while the knife blade isbeing moved. This presses inwards the strip 36 so. that the strip inturn, engages the back of the knife blade, forcing the cutting edge ofthe knife blade against the sharpener discs 23 with increased pressure.

It is to be understood that the shank 40 may be threadedly engaged forinstance, by a thread 42 as shown in Fig. 6, in the front wall 34 forretaining the edge of the knife blade 13 against the sharpener discs 23,at a constant fixed pressure.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed, and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of'the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is;

1. A combined knife holder and sharpener, comprising a hollow bodyhaving a top wall with a slot through which the blade of a knife may beinserted, afront wall for guiding said knife blade, a knife sharpenermounted within said hollow body opposed to said front wall forsharpening said knife blade each time said knife blade is placed into orremoved from said hollow body,

comprising a leaf spring supported on said hollow body, a plurality ofgroups of sharpener discs mounted on said leaf spring to engage the edgeof the knife blade, a strip within the hollow body for engaging acrossthe back edge of the knife blade, means for slidably supporting saidstrip so that it is capable of moving forward, resilie'nt means urgingsaid strip rearwardly, a shank projecting from said strip through saidfront wall and provided with a knob by which the strip may be movedrearwardly, said strip having an offset socket portion for receiving theback edge of said knife blade.

2. A combined knife holder and sharpener, comprising a hollow bodyhaving a top wall with a slot through which the blade of a knife may beinserted, a front wall, a knife sharpener mounted within said hollowbody opposed to said front wall for sharpening said knife blade eachtime said knife blade is placed into or removed from said hollow body,comprising a leaf spring supported on said hollow body, a plurality ofgroups of sharpener discs mounted on said leaf spring to enga e theedge. of the knife blade, a strip within the hollow body for engagingacross the back edge of the knife blade, means for slidably supportingsaid strip so that it is capable of moving forward, resilient meansurging said strip rearwardly, a shank projecting from said strip throughsaid front wall and provided with a knob by which the strip may be movedrearwardly, said strip having an offset socket portion for resolving theback edge of said knife blade, said shank also, including a threadedportion engaging in said front wall and adapted to retain said edge ofthe knife blade against said groups of sharpener discs at a constantfixed pressure.

3. In a knife holder and sharpener having a hollow body formed with aback wall, a front wall and a top wall formed with a slot for theinsertion of a knife blade and a sharpener mounted on the back wall at alocation to engage and sharpen the cutting edge of a knife blade wheninserted into or removed from said slot, means for holding the knifeblade in a position with its cutting edge engaged with said sharpener,comprising pins extended forwardly from the back wall on opposite sidesof the sharpener, a strip of material slidable on said pins and extendedacross the back of the knife blade, springs on said pins operatingbetween the adjacent faces of the back wall and said strip urging thestrip away from the back of the knife blade, and means projecting fromsaid strip through the front wall for urging said strip against theaction of said springs to hold the cutting edge of the. blade in enagement with the sharpener.

4. In. a k if holder and sharpener having a hollow body formediwith a,back wall, a, front wall and. a top wall formed with a slot for the insertion of, a knife. blade and a. sharp er mounted on the, back wall, ata, location, to, engage and sharpen, the, cutting edge of, a, knifeblade when inserted into or remQYed from. said slot, means for holdingthe knife blade, in, a. position with its cuttin edge enga ed withsaid;sharpener, comprising pins, extended forwardly from the back wall onopposite sides of the sharpener, a strip of material slidable, on saidpins and extended ac o s the k. of. heknife de, sprin s. on said pinsoperating between the adjacent. faces of the back wall and said stripurging the strip away from the back, 0f. the, knife blade, and meansprojecting from said strip through the front wall for urging said stripagainst the action of said 5 springs to hold the cutting edge of theblade in engagement with the sharpener, said strip being formedintermediate of its ends with a portion bent away from the knife bladeforming a socket engaged by the back edge of the blade for guidingvertical movements of the knife blade.

5. In a knife holder and sharpener having a hollow body formed with aback wall, a front wall and a top wall formed with a slot for theinsertion of a knife blade and a sharpener mounted on the back wall at alocation to engage and sharpen the cutting edge of a knife blade wheninserted into or removed from said slot, means for holding the knifeblade in a position with its cutting edge engaged with said sharpener,com- 15 prising pins extended forwardly from the back wall on oppositesides of the sharpener, a strip of material slidablev on said pins andextended across the back of the knife blade, springs on said pinsoperating between the adjacent faces of the back wall and said stripurging the strip away from the back of the knife blade, and meansprojecting from said strip through the front wall for urging said stripagainst the action of said springs to hold the cutting edge of the bladein engagement with the sharpener, said lattermentioned means comprisinga shank extending from said strip and slidably projected through thefront wall, and a head on the outer end of said shank.

FRED H. ALEXANDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

\ UNITED STATES PATENTS

